5 Forgotten Full Body Exercises for Insane Endurance

Endurance is not built by isolation. True stamina comes from engaging the body as a unified system—muscles, heart, lungs, and nervous system working in concert.

While most athletes default to running, cycling, or rowing for endurance, some older, often-overlooked exercises can drive cardiovascular capacity, muscular endurance, and resilience far beyond the norm.

These movements recruit multiple muscle groups, challenge stability, and elevate heart rate to levels proven to enhance endurance performance. This article uncovers five forgotten full-body exercises backed by science, showing how they can be used to build “insane endurance.”

Why Full Body Exercises Matter for Endurance

Endurance training traditionally emphasizes repetitive, cyclical movements. However, full body, compound movements push the body differently:

• They demand higher oxygen uptake due to greater muscle recruitment.
• They stimulate Type I (slow-twitch) and Type IIa (fatigue-resistant fast-twitch) fibers simultaneously.
• They enhance neuromuscular coordination and efficiency, which has been linked to improved time-to-exhaustion.

Research consistently shows that multi-joint exercises elevate heart rate, blood lactate, and oxygen consumption more effectively than isolation exercises, key drivers of endurance adaptations (Paoli et al., 2012).

1. Loaded Carries

What They Are

Loaded carries involve walking with weight held in the hands, overhead, or on the back. Examples include farmer’s walks, suitcase carries, and overhead carries.

Why They Build Endurance

Walking under heavy load increases cardiovascular demand far beyond bodyweight locomotion. It forces the body to stabilize under prolonged tension while maintaining gait efficiency. Research shows that loaded carries substantially increase metabolic cost compared to unloaded walking, leading to improved aerobic capacity (Knapik et al., 2004).

Scientific Backing

A study on occupational load carriage found that prolonged carrying elevated heart rate, oxygen consumption, and energy expenditure in ways comparable to sustained running (Liu et al., 2019). This makes loaded carries a direct endurance-builder rather than just a strength tool.

2. Sledgehammer Strikes

What They Are

Using a heavy sledgehammer to repeatedly strike a tire or padded surface. Once a common labor task, this movement is now largely absent from training programs.

Why They Build Endurance

Sledgehammer strikes are cyclical, rhythmic, and involve full body rotation and extension. They mimic high-intensity cyclic activity like paddling or rowing, demanding cardiovascular output and muscular endurance.

Scientific Backing

Rotational power training has been shown to elevate VO₂ peak when performed at high volume and intensity (Fernandez-Fernandez et al., 2016). Additionally, the repetitive ballistic nature of striking taxes the oxidative energy system when performed for extended bouts.

3. Rope Climbing

What It Is

Climbing a vertical rope using both arms and legs, or arms alone. This was once a military and gymnastic staple but is now a rarity in most gyms.

Why It Builds Endurance

Rope climbing is an upper-limb dominant full-body exercise requiring grip, pulling power, core activation, and sustained isometric tension. High heart rate and oxygen consumption occur because large muscle groups are recruited under continuous demand.

Scientific Backing

Research on climbing has shown oxygen uptake and energy cost to be extremely high relative to the movement speed, proving its effectiveness as an endurance challenge (Billat et al., 1995). Rope climbing further enhances endurance through grip and forearm fatigue resistance, key in preventing overall systemic failure during long efforts.

4. Sandbag Shouldering and Carries

What It Is

Lifting a sandbag from the ground to the shoulder, then carrying it over distance or time. Unlike a barbell, sandbags shift and destabilize, forcing constant adjustments.

Why It Builds Endurance

Sandbag work combines strength, cardiovascular output, and stabilization. Because the load is uneven, the body recruits additional stabilizers, increasing metabolic demand. Carrying the sandbag after repeated shouldering mimics work-rest cycles similar to interval training.

Scientific Backing

Research has shown that odd-object lifting and carrying results in higher heart rates and lactate accumulation compared to stable barbell lifts (Hori et al., 2005). This metabolic stress translates to enhanced endurance adaptations.

5. Burpee Pull-Ups

What They Are

A combination of the burpee—a squat, plank, push-up, and jump—with a pull-up at the top. Historically used in military conditioning, this hybrid is rarely seen outside tactical training.

Why They Build Endurance

Burpees alone have been proven to elevate VO₂ max significantly when performed at high intensity. Adding a pull-up recruits additional muscle groups, pushing cardiovascular and muscular endurance further.

Scientific Backing

High-repetition calisthenics like burpees have been linked to improvements in both aerobic and anaerobic fitness markers (Rahmani-Nia et al., 2011). By extending the chain of movement into a vertical pull, burpee pull-ups increase oxygen cost and muscular fatigue, boosting time-to-exhaustion adaptations.

Integrating These Exercises into Endurance Training

Programming Considerations

• Volume: Begin with short bouts (e.g., 3–5 sets of 30–60 seconds) and progress to longer continuous efforts.
• Load: For loaded carries and sandbags, choose weights that allow sustained effort but induce significant cardiovascular strain.
• Frequency: 2–3 sessions per week, integrated alongside running, cycling, or rowing for comprehensive endurance development.

Safety

Technique is paramount, particularly for rope climbs and sledgehammer work. Start light, master form, and progress gradually to avoid injury.

Conclusion

Endurance is not only about distance running or long cycling sessions. Forgotten movements like loaded carries, sledgehammer strikes, rope climbing, sandbag shouldering, and burpee pull-ups provide a unique path to developing stamina. These exercises challenge the cardiovascular system, build muscular fatigue resistance, and demand coordination and stability—qualities central to endurance performance. Supported by scientific evidence, they deserve renewed attention in the training of athletes seeking “insane endurance.”

Key Takeaways

Bibliography

• Billat, V., Palleja, P., Charlaix, T., Rizzardo, P. & Janel, N. (1995). Energy specificity of rock climbing and aerobic capacity in competitive sport rock climbers. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 35(1), 20-24.
• Fernandez-Fernandez, J., Saez de Villarreal, E., Sanz-Rivas, D. & Moya, M. (2016). Effects of a 6-week resistance training program on explosive strength and VO₂max in elite tennis players. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 15(3), 616-624.
• Hori, N., Newton, R., Andrews, W., Kawamori, N., McGuigan, M. & Nosaka, K. (2005). Comparison of four different resistance training techniques in elite athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 19(1), 146-152.
• Knapik, J., Reynolds, K. & Harman, E. (2004). Soldier load carriage: historical, physiological, biomechanical, and medical aspects. Military Medicine, 169(1), 45-56.
• Liu, Y., Givoni, N., Mueller, P., Kenney, L. & Nigg, B. (2019). Physiological responses to load carriage during walking and running. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 119(10), 2213-2222.
• Paoli, A., Marcolin, G. & Petrone, N. (2012). Influence of different resistance training exercise orders on the oxygen consumption and perceived exertion of novice subjects. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(11), 2950-2959.
• Rahmani-Nia, F., Damirchi, A., Amiri, P. & Nabatchian, F. (2011). Effect of high-intensity interval training on VO₂max, blood lactate, and performance in trained athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 25(10), 2954-2960.